Electrically conductive fabrics and textiles are well known in the art. Such materials have found a wide variety of uses, including in anti-static, anti-microbial, and functional cloth applications. Recently, with the proliferation of touch-sensitive electronic devices, interest in attractive fabrics with high electrical conductivity has increased considerably.
Child U.S. Pat. No. 5,716,893 discloses a method of depositing a conductive polymer film on a textile fabric substrate. The method includes synthesizing a pyrrole compound having improved stability by the oxidative polymerization of an aqueous solution of a pyrrole compound in the presence of an oxidizing agent, dopant anion and a stabilizing agent.
Child et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,001,749 discloses a patterned conductive textile and a process for making the same. The process involves applying a durable finish to portions of the chosen substrate that inhibits the formation of a conductive polymer from forming on those areas.
DeAngelis et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,716,481 discloses a process for making an electromagnetically conductive textile having a conductivity gradient through the thickness of the fabric. The process includes two or more superimposed webs of felt material with different electrical conductivities in order to create an conductivity gradient across the composite fabric's thickness.
Leto et al. International Publication No. WO 2010/141743 discloses a material for use with a capacitive touch screen. The materials include textiles, leathers, non-woven materials, and leather-like materials impregnated with a composition including an electrically conductive agent and a binder. The process includes curing coatings either under heat or air dried without heat.
Attempts at producing a conductive leather product, however, have resulted in products that do not approach the level of quality that consumers have come to expect. In particular, conductive leather is currently only available in limited colors, and the conductivity of the leather degrades unacceptably with time and use particularly due to conditions such as from wetness due to snow, ice, and laundering. Thus, what are needed are high-quality conductive leather materials and methods for making the same that overcome the shortcomings of the current state-of-the art.